What does "substantially equal" work imply?

The term "substantially equal" work refers specifically to jobs that hold similar value in terms of skill, effort, responsibilities, and working conditions, although they may not be identical. In the context of equal pay legislation, such as the Equal Pay Act, the focus is on whether the jobs require similar qualifications and entail comparable levels of responsibility and work effort.

While it is possible for jobs to pay the same salary or have differing working conditions, these aspects alone do not define "substantially equal" work. Salaries may vary for positions that require similar skills and responsibilities due to factors such as market demand or organizational structure, hence choice about jobs that pay the same salary does not capture the essence of "substantially equal". Similarly, while differing working conditions could exist in jobs that are considered equal in responsibility and skill, they do not negate the fact that the essential requirements of the roles are fundamentally equivalent.

The option about jobs that are unrelated in function does not correspond to the concept of "substantially equal" either, as a core premise is that the jobs must be functionally similar in terms of skill and responsibility in order to address equity in pay.

Thus, the emphasis on jobs requiring equal skill and responsibility aligns most closely with the